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Rabat – Dozens of Moroccan vloggers and social media “influencers” flocked to Qatar late last year to attend the 2022 World Cup, documenting their journey at the tournament in videos and social media content that boosted their channel, garnering millions of views.
However, Moroccans were quick to notice that said influencers were nowhere to be seen at the Club World Cup, which is currently held in their country, Morocco. This has raised questions as to why they would attend a sporting event that was more than 7,300 kilometers away and not a tournament that is hosted by their homeland.
Moroccan journalist Ridouane Erramdani was among those who took to the internet to point out the contradiction.
“Some influencers took the trouble to travel to Qatar to make vlogs for us in the World Cup, but they are nowhere to be seen at the Club World Cup now,” he criticized on Facebook.
Mocking their blatant absence from the ongoing Club World Cup, Erramdani joked: “Is Tangier father than Doha, or is it because Doha is sunny and Tangier is cold?”
The Moroccan journalist then insinuated that the Moroccan influencers’ were drawn to the benefits of an all-expenses-paid trip in exchange for their social media coverage of the World Cup in Qatar.
Read also: FIFA Club World Cup Opening Ceremony Showcases Morocco’s Openness
Moroccan netizens echoed Erramdani’s thoughts, suggesting that the influencers’ journey to Qatar was not driven by their love for football or their support for the Moroccan national team. By contrast, it was a superficial front fueled by the financial benefits and exposure they received during the tournament, Moroccan social media users claimed.
The Club World Cup is taking place in the Moroccan cities of Rabat and Tangier between February 1 and 11.
The opening ceremony of the tournament took place on Wednesday in the Ibn Battuta Stadium in Tangier, featuring several traditional performances that reflected Morocco’s diverse and rich culture.
The opening ceremony was followed by the opening game of the tournament, featuring Egyptian club Al Ahly and New Zealand’s Auckland City. The game ended with the Egyptian side qualifying for the next stage with a 3-0 victory.
